Patents Examined by Pablo Tran
  • Patent number: 9755681
    Abstract: The present invention relates to various embodiments of a Radio-Frequency (RF) front-end for use in a receiver, a diversity receiver and a method for operating a diversity receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Wilhelm, Bernd Adler, Mikael Bergholz Knudsen
  • Patent number: 9748984
    Abstract: A mixing stage includes a first modulation stage that receives an input signal from a first common node of the mixing stage, a first local oscillator input that receives a local oscillator signal, and a first modulation signal output adapted to provide a first modulated signal. A second modulation stage of the mixing stage includes a second input that receives a phase inverted representation of the input signal from a second common node of the mixing stage, a second local oscillator input that receives the local oscillator signal, and a second modulation signal output adapted to provide a second modulated signal. A current generation circuit provides a supply current to the first common node and to the second common node. A current control circuit is adapted to superimpose an offset current to the current of at least one node of the first common node and the second common node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Saverio Trotta, Herbert Knapp
  • Patent number: 9749031
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, accessing a group of de-coupling data stored in a memory of a communication device where the group of de-coupling data is mapped to corresponding use cases associated with the communication device, selecting de-coupling data from among the group of de-coupling data according to a determined use case of the communication device, generating a pre-distortion signal according to the selected de-coupling data, combining the pre-distortion signal with RF signals to generate pre-distorted RF signals, and transmitting the pre-distorted RF signals via a multi-port antenna of the communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Shirook M. H. Ali, Michael Eoin Buckley, Anmol Bhardwaj
  • Patent number: 9720384
    Abstract: A radio signal receiver includes a GPS receiver circuit, an environment detection circuit (charging state detection circuit and voltage detection circuit) that detects is in an environment suited to the radio signal receiver receiving satellite signals, and a control circuit. The control circuit has a first reception control unit that operates the GPS receiver circuit when the radio signal receiver is determined to be in an environment suited to receiving satellite signals based on the result output by the environment detection circuit, a second reception control unit that operates the GPS receiver circuit at a scheduled reception time, and a switching unit that switches operation between the first reception control unit and second reception control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 9722570
    Abstract: PROBLEM: To provide a high-performance complex circuit, circuit device, circuit board, and communication device that support a wider band of frequencies. SOLUTION: A complex circuit includes a first diplexer that passes through the normal-phase signals of balanced signals and a second diplexer that passes through the reverse-phase signals of the balanced signals. A balun includes a low frequency band first balun element and a high frequency band second balun element. The first balun element and the second balun element respectively include a plurality of lines that are connected to the first diplexer and that carry signals occupying two different frequency bands and also respectively include a plurality of lines that are connected to the second diplexer and that carry signals occupying two different frequency bands. The lines form one pair of balanced lines, and the lines form another pair of balanced lines. Furthermore, the first balun element and the second balun element each include an unbalanced line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Saito
  • Patent number: 9716302
    Abstract: A system is provided for transmitting sub-terahertz electro-magnetic radio frequency (RF) signals using a dielectric waveguide (DWG) having a dielectric core member surrounded by dielectric cladding. An RF transmitter is coupled to an antenna located on a first substrate, in which the antenna is adjacent an edge of the substrate. The first substrate is mounted on a second substrate. A conductive reflector plate is formed on the top surface of the second substrate. An end of the DWG is mounted on the second substrate over the reflector plate such that an exposed face of the core member at the end of the DWG is adjacent the antenna. The core member at the end of DWG forms an angle of inclination with the second substrate in which the angle is in a range of approximately 10-30 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Juan Alejandro Herbsommer, Bradley Allen Kramer
  • Patent number: 9712947
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a system includes a master node device. The master node device includes communication circuitry configured to facilitate communication with a welding power supply unit via a long-range communication link, and to facilitate wireless communication with one or more welding-related devices via a short-range wireless communication network. The master node device also includes control circuitry configured to continuously improve reliability of wireless communications between the communication circuitry and the one or more welding-related devices via the short-range wireless communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Dina, Kathy Lee Downie
  • Patent number: 9712191
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus (200) for feeding an antenna array (207) comprising at least first and second antenna elements (2071, 2072). The apparatus comprises a first transmitting element (2011) configured to receive a first base band signal (202-i) and to feed a first feed signal (2041) to a first antenna element (2071), the first transmitting element (2011) comprising a first power amplifier (2031). The apparatus also comprises a second transmitting element (2012) configured to receive a second base band signal (2022) and to feed a second feed signal (2042) to a second antenna element (2072), the second transmitting element (2012) comprising a second power amplifier (2032). A tapering control unit (205) is adapted to provide a tapering function between the first feed signal to the first antenna element and the second feed signal to the second antenna element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON
    Inventors: Bernt Johansson, Bo Berglund
  • Patent number: 9705478
    Abstract: RF communications circuitry, which includes a first tunable RF filter and a first RF low noise amplifier (LNA) is disclosed. The first tunable RF filter includes a pair of weakly coupled resonators, and receives and filters a first upstream RF signal to provide a first filtered RF signal. The first RF LNA is coupled to the first tunable RF filter, and receives and amplifies an RF input signal to provide an RF output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 9699678
    Abstract: Small anechoic chambers for evaluating a wireless device under test (DUT) are characterized by a set of antennas to which a test signal is applied and for which excitation coefficients are applied such that the test signal approximates a single plane wave or a preselected superposition of plane waves in the near field of the antennas. The test-equipment antennas in the chamber may be as close as one wavelength from the boundary of a test zone in which the DUT is disposed. Hence, the test zone can be in the near field of the test-equipment antennas and the test zone can be less than a wavelength from the chamber walls. Consequently, it is possible to perform tests in a small anechoic chamber that previously required a large anechoic chamber, e.g., advanced spatial channel-model tests and antenna-pattern measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: AZIMUTH SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Thorkild Hansen
  • Patent number: 9686696
    Abstract: Method and radio base station for adapting a Radio Access Network, RAN, capability, in response to variations in transport characteristics, such as data transfer rate, maximum available bandwidth, and maximum used bandwidth, of a backhaul network. The radio base station is arranged to communicate data between a RAN and the backhaul network, said method comprising to obtain, by a controller, information related to the transport characteristics of the backhaul network. The method comprises further to determine, by the controller, based on the obtained information, an output level of the radio base station, and to adjust, by the controller, the output level of the radio base station to the determined output level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Tomas Thyni, Mats Forsman, Erik Friman
  • Patent number: 9680416
    Abstract: A monolithic integrated circuit (IC), and method of manufacturing same, that includes all RF front end or transceiver elements for a portable communication device, including a power amplifier (PA), a matching, coupling and filtering network, and an antenna switch to couple the conditioned PA signal to an antenna. An output signal sensor senses at least a voltage amplitude of the signal switched by the antenna switch, and signals a PA control circuit to limit PA output power in response to excessive values of sensed output. Stacks of multiple FETs in series to operate as a switching device may be used for implementation of the RF front end, and the method and apparatus of such stacks are claimed as subcombinations. An iClass PA architecture is described that dissipatively terminates unwanted harmonics of the PA output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Mark L. Burgener, James S. Cable
  • Patent number: 9680448
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a gain-boosted n-path passive-mixer-first receiver. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a gain-boosted n-path passive-mixer-first receiver is provided. The receiver includes a number n of switch-capacitor (sc) sets, a resistor, and a transconductance amplifier. The sc sets connect in parallel, and the sc sets have a first node and a second node. The resistor connects to the first node. The transconductance amplifier connects to the resistor and the second node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF MACAU
    Inventors: Pui-In Mak, Zhicheng Lin, Rui Paulo da Silva Martins
  • Patent number: 9673845
    Abstract: A mixing stage includes a first modulation stage that receives an input signal from a first common node of the mixing stage, a first local oscillator input that receives a local oscillator signal, and a first modulation signal output adapted to provide a first modulated signal. A second modulation stage of the mixing stage includes a second input that receives a phase inverted representation of the input signal from a second common node of the mixing stage, a second local oscillator input that receives the local oscillator signal, and a second modulation signal output adapted to provide a second modulated signal. A current generation circuit provides a supply current to the first common node and to the second common node. A current control circuit is adapted to superimpose an offset current to the current of at least one node of the first common node and the second common node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Saverio Trotta, Herbert Knapp
  • Patent number: 9667762
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing component which includes a through hole which passes between a first surface and a second surface, an antenna as a conductor film located to cover a part of a surface of the housing component, and a filler which watertightly seals the through hole by filling at least a part of an internal space in the through hole. The antenna includes an antenna first portion as a conductor film first portion, an antenna second portion as a conductor film second portion, and an antenna third portion as a conductor film portion which covers at least a part of an inner surface of the through hole. The through hole includes a through hole first portion and the through hole first portion includes a step in an intermediate portion thereof. The step is covered with the filler when the through hole is viewed from the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9660672
    Abstract: A method for operating an electronic device for transmission of a radio frequency (RF) signal includes selecting output power of a power amplifier (PA) required upon transmission of a signal with a second frequency through an antenna, determining a first PA operation voltage corresponding to the selected output power using first information stored in a memory of the electronic device and second information regarding a PA operation voltage corresponding to first output power of the PA at the second frequency, supplying the determined first PA operation voltage to the PA, and supplying input power corresponding to the selected output power at the second frequency to the PA. Other various embodiments are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-Min Lee, Jung-Hwan Son, Yu-Seon Lee
  • Patent number: 9647707
    Abstract: A signal receiver includes a first mixer configured to mix its first input with its second input associated with an oscillating output of a first synthesizer into an output; a first splitter configured to split its input associated with the output of the first mixer into a first output and a second output; a first switch matrix configured to switch its first input associated with the first output of the first splitter into a first output; a second switch matrix configured to switch its first input associated with the second output of the first splitter into a first output; a second mixer configured to mix its first input associated with the first output of the first switch matrix with its second input associated with an oscillating output of a second synthesizer into an output; and a third mixer configured to mix its first input associated with the first output of the second switch matrix with its second input associated with an oscillating output of a third synthesizer into an output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: RAFAEL MICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Meng-Ping Kan
  • Patent number: 9647709
    Abstract: A data carrier including a SIM card may be converted into a cradle to support a mobile communications device after the SIM card is removed and inserted into the device. The card body includes first, second, and third manipulation lines extending across the card body. The card body may be manipulated about these manipulation lines to form a stand and cradle comprising a first support portion to support a rear surface of the mobile communications device, a second support portion mobile to support a side surface of the mobile communications device, and a lip portion that secures the mobile communications device within the cradle. The lip portion is shorter in length than either the first or second support portions to limit obstruction of a display for the mobile communications device when disposed within the cradle to facilitate viewing of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient Mobile Security America, Inc.
    Inventor: Yongjia Li
  • Patent number: 9647641
    Abstract: RF communications circuitry, which includes a first tunable RF filter and a first RF low noise amplifier (LNA) is disclosed. The first tunable RF filter includes a pair of weakly coupled resonators, and receives and filters a first upstream RF signal to provide a first filtered RF signal. The first RF LNA is coupled to the first tunable RF filter, and receives and amplifies an RF input signal to provide an RF output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 9641212
    Abstract: A protective shell includes a shell body and support elements. The shell body covers an electronic device and includes a space for receiving the support elements. The support elements include a first support arm and a second support arm. The second support arm includes a first free end rotatably received in the receiving space and a second free end. The first support arm includes a third receiving space, a first end and a second end. The third receiving space can receive the second free end. The first end is slidably received in the second receiving space. The second end can be pulled out of the second receiving space toward outside of the shell body. An angle of the support element given to the shell body is adjustable because of the articulation between the first support arm and a second support arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignees: Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Li-Wen Tien, Chang-Xue Lei, Lei Wang